RIchard Bosanquet

27th May 1735 - 17th Apr 1809


Biography

Son of David Bosanquet and his wife Dorcas nee Melchior.

Director of the East India Company 1768-1769 and 1771-1772. Member of the Huguenot banking family. Cousin of Samuel Bosanquet II (q.v.). Partner in Bosanquet and Fatio, Hamburg merchants which also had West Indian interests and which compound with its creditors c. 1773. Lived in Naples from the 1770s to at least the early 1780s. Known as 'Richard the Rake'. Friend of John Soane. "According to family tradition, Bosanquet squandered his fortune by his rakish way of life, and by rash speculation in the stocks.... He returned to England at a later date, but seems to have been rejected by his family."

Visited Grenada in 1775 for his own business investments and as agent for Thomas Walpole MP (q.v.).

Death at Falmouth, after a short illness, Richard Bosanquet, Esquire, age 75.


Sources

Gillian Darley, John Soane: An Accidental Romantic pp. 33, 34, 71.

J. G. Parker, 'The Directors of the East India Company, 1754-1790' PhD dissertation, University of Edinburgh (1977) pp. 38-40 (quote from p. 39).

Gentleman's Magazine Vol. 105 p. 390 (April 1809).


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
died unmarried
Children
[illeg.] Captain Johnson
Will

Mr W. Bosanquet of the Forest House and Mr J. Bosanquet of Broxburne House to be my executors.

Captain Johnson my reputed son having by the child of a convict of Botany Bay the mother already mistress to another man two children. To my executors £2,000 to be laid out in the Equitable Insurance Office for paying to each of those children at age 21 the sum that they think equivalent for £1,000.

To Captain Johnson for his natural life the interest of £2,000, that sum at his death to be divided in equal parts amongst the unmarried daughters of Mr William Bosanquet and Miss Ives both deceased.

Small bequests to servants.

All residue to be divided in one-fifth parts to: Mr W. Bosanquet of the Forest House; the children of Mr S. Bosanquet deceased; Mr J. T. Bosanquet; Mr H. Bosanquet, son of Mr S. D. Bosanquet; the younger children of Mr W. Bosanquet and Miss Ives.

Signed Falmouth, 03/03/1809.

I have desired Mr Carden to order a plain but decent funeral at my parish church. My effects at Falmouth not long enjoyed to my cousin George Bosanquet.

Proved at London 10/05/1809 by William Bosanquet and Jacob Bosanquet the executors.

Occupation
Banker
Religion
Huguenot

Associated Estates (4)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1780 [EA] - → Joint owner
1780 [EA] - → Owner
1780 [EA] - → Owner
1770 [EA] - 1770 [LA] → Mortgage Holder

Legacies Summary

Imperial (1)

East India Company
Commercial  
notes →
Director of the East India...

Relationships (3)

First Cousins
Agent → Principal
Business partners

Addresses (2)

Falmouth, Cornwall, Devon and Cornwall, England
31 Mincing Lane, City of London, Middlesex, London, England